Valve for gage-cocks and faucets



(No Model.) v

W. CHRISTIAN.

VALVE FOR GAGE COCKS AND FAUCETS.

,539. Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT truce,

WILLIAM CHRISTIAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEHV J ERSEYQ VALVE FOR GAGE-COCKSAND FAUCETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,539. dated November6, 1888.

Application filed June 18, 1888. Serial No. 277,421. (No model.)

To 0. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CHRISTIAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valves for Gage-Cocks andFaucets, which improvement is hereinafter fully set forth in thisspecification and accompanying drawings.

Heretofore gage-cocks and faucets have been commonly used which operateby means of a non-removable single-headed valve working within itschamber against a single seat. A non-removable double-headed valve hasbeen also used, working in conjunction with a seat at either end ofagage-cock chamber. Bya nonremovable valve I mean a valve which cannot beremoved while the gage-cock or faucet remainsin service. Valvesoflocomotive-boiler gage-cocks are commonly made of brass filled in withBabbitt metal, and thoseof water-faucets either of the same or a similarmaterial, with or without a cap of rubber.

The constructions above referred to are subject to the disadvantage ofcausing great inconvenience and expense in repairing the valves. Forinstance, when a gage-cock of a locomotive-boiler leaks, by reason ofthe Babbitt metal in the valve wearing away or by reason of the valveotherwise getting out of order, in order to repair it the engine is runinto the roundhouse, the fire raked out, the steam blown off, the boilerrefilled with cold water, and the gage-cock then taken apart, and thevalve repaired. This repair cannot be ef fected until the boiler iscooled down, and it involves the expense of the engine lying idle forhalf a day or more, the loss of time of hands employed, the use of extrawater, and the consumption in firing up of a new supply of wood andcoal. In the case of faucets the water has to be shut off from belowbefore the faucet can be removed and the valve repaired, and it isa'matter of common experience that much inconvenience is often caused tothe tenants of a house containing several families by the shutting offof the water to repair a faucet in a sin gle apartment. A

The object of my invention is to provide in a gage-cock or faucet a pairof valves, each performing all the functions of a gage-cock orfaucet-valve, and both so arranged that one can be removed and repairedwhile the other is in service, thus obviating the disadvantage ofblowing off steam orshutting off water above referred to, and thisobject I accomplish by meansbf my invention, as hereinafter described.

The nature of my invention consists of an upper and a lower valve placedon the stem of a gage-cock or faucet whose lower chanr her is detachablefrom its body, each valve operating against a separate seat in thevalvechamber, the lower valve being adapted to be easily removed whilethe upper valve is in service, and the upper valve being adapted toclose against its seat and control the steam or water while the lowervalve is in process of removal andrepair. In ordinary service the lowervalve is used, closing against the lower seat, and being subject to thewear of constant use, while the upper valve, being in reserve, meetsonly with the wear of occasional service. By turning the reserve valveupwardly against its seat the lower chamber can be detached and thelower valve removed.

By means of this invention repairs of the character referred to to thegage'cock of a locomotiveboiler can be made in afew minutes withoutputting the engine out of service and with any pressure of steam on thatthe boiler carries, while in cases where such repairs cannot be promptlymade the reserve valve OX ercises all the working functions of the lowervalve. So in the faucet the reserve valve regulates the water in theabsence of thelower valve and prevents any interruption in the waterservice.

Figure 1 represents a central vertical sectional elevation of the valvesof a gage-cock constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 givesa similar view of a water-faucet embodying my improvements. Fig. 3 is aview in cross-section of the valves as modified for a water-faucet withthe washer between them.

In Fig. 1, A represents the body of a gagecock, having a detachablechamber, A, said chamber unscrewing from the body with its dischargepipe E,- B, the valve-stem, upon which is seen the screw-thread b,whichworks within the screw-thread a in the body A; b, the handle by whichthe stem is turned; 0,

the upper or reserve valve, and O the lower and removable valve; D D,upper and lower seats; F, cap-nut; G, gland for stuffingbox. The valves0 0 are shown on-the stem 13, being put on the stem like a ring, andheld in position by the nuts 0, set between them, as shown, and fastenedby a washer, c, and jamnut c on end of stem. These valves are filledwith Babbitt metal in the same way as are the ordinary valves in commonuse.

In Fig. 2 is shown a water-faucet with the valves 0 O modified in shapeto form a ball or globe, fastened by the washer and jam-nut c c", thevalves being separated by the washer c, a screw-thread being tapped inthe washer to fit a thread on the stem, as shown in Fig. 3, by means ofwhich the upper valve is held in position while the lower valve isremoved. The seats D D are shown modified to fit these valves. Althoughthe valves as shown in Fig. 1 are also applicable to a water-faucet, yetI prefer to construct the valves of the water-faucet as shown in Fig. 2and to make them of rubber instead of brass or other metal, as a lighterconstruction than that of the gage cock is desirable in thewater-faucet.

In Fig. 3 are seen in crosssection the valves in hemispherical form asadapted to the water-faucet, with the washer c screw-threaded to fit thethread on the stem and held by the washer and janrnut c c.

In the drawings a shoulder is seen on the stem, against which the uppervalve rests. No detailed description of the cap-nut F and gland forstuffing-box G is necessary, as these constructions are in common use.It will be seen that the rotation of the stem by means of the handlebrings into service'either the valve 0 against the upper seat or thevalve 0 against the lower seat, and that when the upper valve is usedthe lower may be removed for repair after unscrewing the lower chamberof the gage-cock or faucet. In the gage-cock, when the valve 0 isremoved, the nuts 0 hold the valve 0 tight against the shoulder seen onthe stem. In the faucet, when the valve 0 is removed, the washer caccomplishes the same purpose. It is obvious that the nuts 0 in Fig. land the washer-c in Figs. 2 and 3 are substantially the same, merelydiffering in form, two nuts being used on the stem of the gagecock tosecure greaterstrength and one washer only being needed in thewater-faucet.

I am aware that prior to myinvention gagecocks have been made having avalve which operated against two seats, one at either end of thevalvechamber, but which could not be removed while the gage-cock was inuse, and this combination I do not claim, nor does such a combinationaccomplish the object of my invention; but

IVhat I do claim as new and as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with the stem of a faucet having a detachable lowerchamber, of an upper and a lower valve, said valves being placed on thestem like a ring and held in position by a screw-threaded washer screwedupon the stem between them, and a washer andjam-nut on end of stem, eachvalve bearing against a separate seat in the valve-chamber, the lowervalve being adapted to be re-v moved for repair and the upper valvebeing adapted to be held in reserve while the lower is in service and tooperate while the lower is removed, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a gage-cock having a detachable lower chamber,with the screwthreaded stem B, having a shoulder,as shown, and a handle,I), of the valves 0 0, held in position by the nuts 0 and washer andjam-nuts 0 0 the stem working within the screw-thread in the body A,each valve bearing against a separate seat in the valve-chamber, thelower valve being adapted to be removed for repair and the upper valvebeing adapted to be held in reserve while the lower is in service and tooperate while the lower is removed, substantially as described.

3. The combinatiomin a faucet having ade-' tachable lower chamber, withthe screwthreaded stem B, having ashoulder, asshown, and a handle, b, ofthe valves 0 G, heldin position by the washer c and the washer andjam-nntc c, the screw-threaded washer a holding the upper valve in placewhen the lower is removed, the stem working within the screwthread inthe body A, each valve bearing against a separate seat in thevalve-ehamber, the lower valve being adapted to be removed for repair,and the upper valve being adapted to be held in reserve while the loweris in service and to operate while the lower is removed, substantiallyas described.

\VILLIAM CHRISTIAN.

Witnesses:

CHES. F. SKINNER, JOHN M. ARTHUR.

